U. of I. News: Restoring a lost heritage

PIATT COUNTY, Ill. — It is a gray and overcast day as we make our way to the mounds at Robert Allerton Park. We use golf carts to get to the mounds, bumping our way over hills and bends along a trail. I look up through the canopy of enormous trees and see the sun trying to penetrate the cloud cover.

These mounds are likely burial structures, constructed by native people living here 1,000 to 2,000 years ago. Similar mounds were once common across Illinois, but the vast majority have been destroyed by looting, agriculture or development. The mounds here have suffered from 19th century looting, but were never plowed and have been preserved as part of the Allerton legacy.

more...

Research News | Campus News | Faculty Interviews | Videos | About

ILLINOIS NEWS BUREAU

507 East Green Street, Suite 345, Champaign, IL 61820 217.333.1085

(w) news.illinois.edu (e) news@illinois.edu

Founded in 1867 as a land grant institution, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is celebrating 150 years of transformative experiences and heralding an ambitious vision for the future through learning, discovery and public engagement. More information on our sesquicentennial milestones and festivities is available at 150.illinois.edu.